Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

I read this novel, Empress by Shan Sa, a few years ago, but it still really sticks out in my mind. Set in China, it was one of my first glimpses into the country's mysterious history. I was captivated by 7th century China, with all the intrigue, secrecy & power it takes to raise & command an empire.

Shan Sa tells the story of Empress Wu, the first & only female Emperor of China, who ushered in a golden age during the Tang dynasty. Empress Wu is born the daughter of a merchant friend of the first Emperor of the Tang dynasty & becomes his concubine upon her father's death. From the gynaeceum, the palace where all the royal women (hundreds of concubines & dozens of wives) & children are kept, she begins her struggle for survival & glory. Jealous women, weak men & treachery abound; it is impossible to know who to trust. Empress Wu must be strong, cunning & heartless to gain & maintain her reign, though she comes across as anything but cold. Indeed, I was rooting for her straight to the end, hoping that all her plans would come to fruition.

Shan Sa really brings the Empress & the Tang dynasty to life. Her descriptions of the city & royal pageantry are poetic & eloquent. It truly feels as though Empress Wu is telling her own story. We follow her, quite literally, from womb to tomb, a unique view of someone's complete existence. The story starts & ends with disappointment: she is born female & not male; upon her death, her hard work to raise an empire quickly crumbles. But the tale is far from disappointing; it is one of strength, passion & courage. It will definitely keep you engaged to the very end, where you'll be left wanting more.

Monday, February 27, 2012

It's Mosaic Monday! I hope you'll join us - it's really easy! Just make a photo mosaic - you can use whatever photo editing software you like, or a website such as the mosaic maker & photos from Flickr - & then post it on your blog. Go ahead & pick a theme if you want, but don't feel like you have to. Have fun with it!

Make sure to include a link back to my blog so that everyone can participate. Then come back here & submit a link to your blog post (using the "add your link" button at the bottom). I'll be looking at & commenting on each one!

Sunday, February 26, 2012

I had a pretty great week last week, though that's usually the case when it's a short week after a relaxing long weekend. Still, I was productive with my job search, met with a friend for coffee, kept up with my daily yoga & even started a new blog!It was my friend's idea - I really want a medical writing position & she thought a science-based blog would be a good platform to get my writing out there. That way, my science posts won't get lost in the shuffle on this blog & I can make it a bit more professional. If you'd like to follow along, head on over toScience Byte - I'd love the company!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Week 8 - here's my photo: Looking through the weekend flyers with a glass of water.

I'd love it if you'd participate with me in this challenge! The rules are simple - take 1 photo a week, for 52 weeks. No theme, just a photo of something that sparked your interest during the week. Feel free to use my Project 52 banner as well. Either right click on the image above & save it on your computer, or follow this link & download it from Flickr.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Last Friday, I started the 21-day yoga challenge set out by the Yoga Journal. Today marks day 8. I haven't missed a single day, practicing the beginner sequences & sometimes following that with 15 minutes of meditation. I haven't been consistent with the meditation, but that's OK because I have been with the yoga.

And I feel great! It's working out wonderfully for me, despite my never having a regular exercise routine before. Here are 5 reasons why I think this one is working for me:

The variety is keeping me interested. I wake up each morning excited to try the new routine & most afternoons I spend a few minutes looking ahead to see what I have to look forward to the next morning.

All of the routines are around or under 30 minutes long - which means no excuses! It's too easy to fit into my daily routine. I usually do it in the morning, before breakfast, so that it doesn't feel like it's taking any time out of my day at all.

After practicing my yoga, I feel energized & ready to tackle the day. As a result, my productivity levels have increased significantly. Not only that, but it's become easier getting up in the mornings too.

I've decided that once I've finished 21 days with the beginner sequences, I'm going to move onto the intermediate cycle. This essentially doubles my challenge, but in a good way. I'm already impatient to start the harder routines, but I know I'm not ready yet.

As Jason Crandell, one of the instructor, said in yesterday's routine: be patient, be persistent & be practical. That may just become my new yoga motto, because it sums up what I've learned quite nicely. You can't rush yoga - you can't expect to be as flexible as the instructor, especially if you don't practice daily. And most importantly, don't push it. If the posture is uncomfortable, pull back a little until you're more flexible.

So now the only question that remains is... why haven't you started the challenge?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

I was on a collage kick all weekend & early this week. I went through a few magazines & cut them to pieces, filing away words, images, colours & textures that inspire me. Some elements were just asking to be used though & I had to glue them down right then & there.

Here are a couple of those sketchbook pages.

I love the colour combo in this photo from an Anthropologie catalogue. Simply stunning!

Experiments with colour & common themes.Experiments with words, alone or with images - I love using words in collages!This is probably one of my favourite pages - the image of 3 bracelets is a perfect mimic of bacteria, as is the patterned paper in the background.Finally, another piece inspired by Matisse, like those I showed 2 weeks ago.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Spring certainly seems just around the corner with all the mild weather we've been having, so it was time to do a bit of research into colour trends for the new season. Personally I've been drawn to oranges lately - tangerine, peach, coral, tomato - and I've been pairing that with lots of grey, dusty purples & soft periwinkle. I've also been leaning towards pastels again, especially soft yellow, aqua & pinks.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. Here are my colour palettes for spring 2012.

First, the pastels:Fawn & oatmeal are my favourite neutrals & I paired them with a sassy orchid, a surprisingly versatile mint green & a soft butter yellow. If your pastels are muted, they can practically substitute for your spring neutrals. Don't feel like you need to stick to tans & browns for your darker shades either - dusty hues of grey, blue, purple & olive are all very trendy right now & look great in sheer layers.For my brighter spring palette, I went with my favourite shades of orange & purple, pairing them with a deep indigo, playful gold & seafoam green. A nice bright teal would have been great too. Use these brights to add some interest to your otherwise neutral ensemble. Don't be shy to mix one or two bright shades!

Can you believe March is almost upon us? I think the month is catching me unaware because winter really hasn't made itself known here. We've had unseasonably mild weather & very little snow... not that I'm complaining! It's been quite nice actually.

I'm predicting great things for March: I have one or two healthy recipes to share & another couple books to recommend. I also have 2 mini projects planned for March: one involves drawing, the other involves clothes. I'm also hoping to run ACEO-X, an art card exchange, near the end of the month.As you can see, March is going to be a busy & fun-filled month! That makes it a perfect time to advertise right here. There are only three advertisement spots on my sidebar - very exclusive. They aren't teeny tiny either, so you're sure to get noticed.

Have I mentioned the best part? Ad spaces are FREE! They won't be free forever though & first come, first serve, so don't delay!

First you'll need an ad - make it jpg or png, 200px (width) by 150px (height). If you don't have one already, I can make it for you. Send your ad (or ad criteria) & the link to the site you're advertising to ulixis.crafts@gmail.com. Please include "Advertisement Opportunity" as the subject line. If you have any questions, I'd love to hear from you!

Monday, February 20, 2012

It's Mosaic Monday! I hope you'll join us - it's really easy! Just make a photo mosaic - you can use whatever photo editing software you like, or a website such as the mosaic maker & photos from Flickr - & then post it on your blog. Go ahead & pick a theme if you want, but don't feel like you have to. Have fun with it!

Make sure to include a link back to my blog so that everyone can participate. Then come back here & submit a link to your blog post (using the "add your link" button at the bottom). I'll be looking at & commenting on each one!

Here's mine for this week: family. Happy Family Day long weekend to my fellow Canadians!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Last week I skipped my forecast & my productivity level plummeted. I did a lot of nothing early in the week, finally kicking myself off the couch Thursday afternoon to find a new exercise routine that could keep me motivated. As I posted on Friday, I found & started the 21-day yoga challenge. So far, so good. Despite this being a long weekend, I've continued with the routines & find myself looking forward to the next one.

So... here's the plan for this week:

apply to at least 5 jobs a day - I was discouraged & slacked off on my job search last week; this week has to be better!

follow my yoga practice daily

have a healthy breakfast after yoga & incorporate more fresh fruit & veggies into my diet

Saturday, February 18, 2012

I'd love it if you'd participate with me in this challenge! The rules are simple - take 1 photo a week, for 52 weeks. No theme, just a photo of something that sparked your interest during the week. Feel free to use my Project 52 banner as well. Either right click on the image above & save it on your computer, or follow this link & download it from Flickr.

Friday, February 17, 2012

I've been trying to get into a more active routine, exercising regularly & eating healthy... something I have never done consistently. I'm inherently lazy & love snacking on the worst kind of junk. Pat's pretty much the same & both of us have been feeling the effects of this unhealthy lifestyle. It was time for a serious change.

Pat started the week off right - he's been going to the gym every day since Monday. He's been stiff & achy, but I've already noticed a positive change in his mood & appetite. His motivation is something to be admired honestly, I don't know how he does it!

Me? Monday I did a morning yoga routine..... then I slept in the rest of the week. Yesterday, I knew I had try something new, otherwise it was not going to happen. I get bored easily when it comes to exercise & I'm getting tired of the dvd I have. So I did a bit of online searching & found this 21-day yoga challenge hosted by the Yoga Journal (a site & magazine I love).

I think this challenge is going to be perfect for me! Here's why:

there are 2 goals to the challenge: practice yoga daily & meditate for 15 minutes everyday - both are practices I want to fit into my daily routine!

there is a healthy recipe to try each day - I love trying new recipes!

there is a different routine each day - variety to keep me going!

there are 2 levels: beginner & intermediate - some of the routines are the same for both (like day 1), but this just means even more variety!

Since I'm about midway between the level, I'm thinking of starting with the beginner routine in the morning & then try the intermediate in the afternoon. When they're the same, I'll repeat it; when a routine is specific for evenings, I'll do day 1's morning routine in the morning. Or, if I feel up to it, I'll substitute some cardio for the second routine. At the end of 3 weeks, I'm hoping to be stronger, more flexible & more motivated to continue with my daily practice.Today is Day 1! I completed the morning sequence & meditation & am about to have a healthy breakfast (I don't have eggs or ricotta to try the recipe posted, but I'm going to break out my quinoa cookbook & try something new & healthy). I'm tempted to do some cardio this afternoon too. I'm going to keep track of my exercise & eating habits in a journal & update my progress here next Friday. Hopefully, if nothing else, that accountability will keep me going!

Feel like challenging yourself too? You can find all the routines (free) here. I'd love the company! Sometimes just knowing someone else is doing it is motivation enough to get off my butt! Leave me a comment if you are & we can push each other along the way!